Creating objects

Update network and contact information

How to maintain information

Creating objects

You can create a new object via email. To do this, you must:

• Obtain the object template
• Complete the template
• Send the object by email to the appropriate mailbox

Obtain the object template

Query the APNIC Whois Database using the -t or -v flags to obtain a copy of the object template.

Example of a web-based whois query:

• -t person

Example of command line whois query:

• whois –h whois.apnic.net –t person

Example of an object template:

person: [mandatory] [single] [lookup key]

address: [mandatory] [multiple] [ ]

country: [optional] [single] [ ]

phone: [mandatory] [multiple] [ ]

fax-no: [optional] [multiple] [ ]

e-mail: [mandatory] [multiple] [lookup key]

nic-hdl: [mandatory] [single] [primary/look-up key]

remarks: [optional] [multiple] [ ]

notify: [optional] [multiple] [inverse key]

mnt-by: [mandatory] [multiple] [inverse key]

changed: [mandatory] [multiple] [ ]

source: [mandatory] [single] [ ]

Complete the template

Replace the attribute prompts with the information you want to appear in the database. Ensure that:

• Mandatory attributes are completed
• Optional attributes you choose to omit are deleted from the template
• Attribute prompts such as '[optional]' are deleted

Example of a completed object template:

person: Ky Xander

address: ExampleNet Service Provider

address: 2 Pandora St Boxville

address: Wallis and Futuna Islands

country: WF

phone: +680-368-0844

fax-no: +680-367-1797

e-mail: kxander@example.com

nic-hdl: AUTO-1

remarks: -----------------------------

remarks: Send abuse reports to

remarks: abuse@example.com

remarks: -----------------------------

mnt-by: MAINT-WF-EXAMPLENET

changed: kxander@example.com 20020821

source: APNIC

Send the object to the appropriate mailbox

Submit the completed object by email to the appropriate mailbox at APNIC.

With the exception of maintainer objects, send new objects to:

• auto-dbm@apnic.net

Send new maintainer objects to:

• maint-request@apnic.net

Preventing new objects overriding similar existing objects

To ensure that the database only accepts an object if it is not already in the database, use the keyword NEW in the email subject line. For example, use this if you are registering an inetnum object to prevent overriding any existing inetnum object with the same address range.

Special cases: person and mntner objects

Two objects need special care when you create them in the database:

• person
• maintainer

These two objects are referred to by most other objects in the database. All objects (including person objects) must be protected by a maintainer, and many objects (including maintainers) also refer to person objects as the tech-c, admin-c, or zone-c.

Because person and maintainer objects are dependent on each other, the first time you create them, you will need to submit both new objects to maint-request@apnic.net to be manually entered into the database:

1. Create new person and maintainer objects at the same time using the text form available at:

ftp://ftp.apnic.net/apnic/docs/mntner-person-request.txt

2. Submit the completed form to:

maint-request@apnic.net

3. Wait one business day for the APNIC Hostmasters to create your new maintainer and person objects.

If you already have an existing maintainer or person object, you can create additional maintainer or person objects using your existing object if you so wish.

Person object

To create a new person object, you must follow the procedures below:

1. Create your new person object.
2. Include a temporary NIC-handl in the nic-hdl attribute with the format:

<initials><number>-AP

nic-hdl: AUTO-1

nic-hdl: AUTO-1<chosen-initials>

AUTO-1ENOC

When creating a new person object, you must use one of the two nic-hdl attributes described above:

• nic-hdl: AUTO-1

• nic-hdl: AUTO-1<chosen-initials>

You can use the same temporary NIC-handles to reference the new person in other objects contained in the same update email. The database software will automatically assign the generated NIC-handles to other objects in the update message that referred to the same temporary NIC-handle.

If you wish to create more than one new person object in the email, you can increment the temporary NIC-handle for additional person objects. For example:

• nic-hdl: AUTO-2

If you are creating more than one person or role object in a MIME encoded PGP signed message, you may use AUTO-1 for each object.

3. You must refer to an existing mntner object in the person object’s mnt-by attribute. If you do not have an existing mntner object, you need to create one.

4. Email the person object to: auto-dbm@apnic.net

5. You will receive an email from the APNIC Whois Database stating whether your update was a success or not. If there were errors, please see Tips when sending emails. When you receive an email stating that your update was successful, your person object will be ready to use in the APNIC Whois Database.

Maintainer Object

A maintainer object is a database object that is used to provide a method of authorizing updates to the APNIC Whois Database. All objects in the APNIC Whois Database must be protected by a maintainer.

To create a new mntner object, you must follow the procedure below:

1. Create your new mntner object.

· You must refer to an existing person object in the admin-c attribute. If you do not have an existing person object, you must create one.

· In the referral-by attribute, you must include APNIC-HM. No other value will be accepted: referral-by: APNIC-HM

2. Email the mntner object to: maint-request@apnic.net

3. The APNIC Hostmasters will then authorize your request and create your mntner object in the database. This may take one business day to complete.

4. When you receive an email from APNIC Hostmasters, your mntner object will be ready to use in the APNIC Whois Database.